That Nice Young Boy From Slytherin
by Chetrieth
Summary: A multiple chapter story that will parallel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets from the point of view of a first-year student (from, predictably enough, Slytherin)
1. The Sorting

Rhodri was poked in the arm for what seemed to be the ten-zillionth time by the young boy with a mop of black hair and dark eyes beside him. "Hey, do you think we're there yet?" he asked, his voice quivering with excitement, though one look out of the window at the blurred countryside could give the negative to his question far better than Rhod. But the boy didn't bother looking, bounced on his seat, hands gripping his new school robes excitedly. Rhod doubted that his friend had even waited for the Express to be off before changing. 

"No, I don't think so, Ben… But I think we must be closer than we were five minutes ago," he said for his friend's sake. The last time Ben had asked had been five minutes ago. He appeared to be satisfied with Rhod's answer, though, going back to watching out of the window anxiously. Rhod was surprised that he wasn't watching his watch for a decent interval between his last and his next query.

"Hey, Rhod!" insisted Ben suddenly, "Didja know that Harry Potter's in Hogwarts?? He's a second year now! I wonder if we'll get to meet him!" The boy positively squirmed.

Rhod blinked… He hadn't realized. But he should have. Twelve years ago, had it happened? "Really?" he asked, though he had learned that Ben's sources were just about infallible. He knew everything, it seemed sometimes. But Harry Potter?

Ben nodded impatiently, "Oh, I hope I'm in Gryffindor! That way I should get to see what he's /really/ like! I wonder what he really saw when he battled You-Know-Who as an infant!"

"Where'd you learn all of this, anyway?" Rhod asked, musing more over Ben's skills than Harry Potter. He was certain he'd hear plenty about him during the journey.

Ben looked hurt, as if Rhod had just questioned the accuracy of his information. He was always right. Almost. Except, Rhod recalled, that one time where he thought that his entire town was about to be run over by vampires and strung up the whole place in garlic. Most of the time. "Ah, it's one of the second years. He's also in Gryffindor, I think… Had a toad he kept losing, named Rover, I think. I dunno… But didja know Harry won the House Cup last year? After the Slytherin House thought the had it all won, too!" Rhod settled in for a full batch of stories about Harry's first year.

Three hours later, the stories were still coming. Rhod's eyes were a little glazed over, but he was still doggedly listening. Ben had never obsessed so much before. And to make matters worse, a boy, named Colin Creevy, with a camera, had joined them. He seemed to obsess as much as Ben. Rhod respected Harry as much as any other boy who had ever heard the story of how the entire wizarding world had been saved, but this was too much!

Desperately casting about for something to, well, distract Ben for a little while, Rhod cast about for the sweets cart making its slow procession down the crowded compartment. Digging a couple of Sickles from his pocket, he hastily got as many chocolate frogs as they would buy. Ben collected the cards avidly, pestering Rhod for the ones he didn't have, and sometimes for the ones he did have. Already he was missing only a few. 

Rhod didn't collect them, personally. He had tried for a couple of months, but after he had gotten about fifty his parents had thrown them out. His own family was rather conservative, and didn't really encourage him in frivolous activities, like collecting Famous Witches and Wizards Cards or decorating his room in his favorite Quidditch team. Finally they had settled for letting him collect small amulets from all around the world - there was even one from a witch doctor from Peru.

"Rhod, look at that one you have! It's Ptolemy! I've been trying forever to get one of him! You're so lucky!" Rhod glanced down and frowned at the card. Ptolemy gave him a sheepish wave and bustled off to the corner while Ben jiggled it in his hand, "Can I have it? Please?" When he had it in his possession, he grinned at it for a few minutes before tucking it into his robes. Rhod grinned to himself for a different reason; he had done something nice for his chum and gotten him off the topic of Harry Potter. Maybe he'd start talking about the other wizards he didn't have, or maybe - Ben interrupted his thoughts by asking Colin, "Hey, I wonder when they're going to have a card for Harry-"

Rhod rose abruptly, scattering the last wrapped chocolate frogs to the floor. The pale, dark-eyed third year behind him gave a start before she went back to jabbering with her friend beside her. Ben looked up at him in confusion, and Rhod mumbled, "And what about when I'm on a card?" The look on his friend's face only developed into a totally baffled expression. "Nothing," he enunciated, clearer this time. With that he scooped up his dozing kitten from atop his luggage and swept off -er, dragged and stumbled off- with his trunk to find a smaller, quieter car to fume in.

It was much emptier at the end of the train, and when he reached a compartment with only two boys with their gold and black heads drawn studiously over one book, Rhod settled his things and sat in a corner to think for a while.

Ben was the best friend he had ever had. He was always so kind when Rhod openly gaped about in amazement when he visited the Muggle village Ben lived in. He was always so interesting, but almost depended on Rhod during school to help him. Rhod helped him, he didn't mind. But Ben had the annoying habit of going crazy for certain things in particular. Right now it was Harry Potter. "Stupid /famous/ Harry Potter," he gargled under his breath. Ben had not yet realized, or maybe Rhod just wasn't too open about it, that Rhod's biggest dream was to be great and famous. Harry Potter already was, "I'm going to be great like him someday - and I'll actually have to work at it. Everyone will see! And, and, I'll find You-Know-Who and vanquish him once and for all!" He grinned to himself and played a couple of scenarios like that through his head. Before he caught the vague but evil figure with no defining features with a great curse, he realized how silly he was acting. He was going to do something as great as what Harry Potter had done, but not for years yet.

"Harry Potter… Agh!" He wouldn't mind so much if he didn't have to listen to it so much…

To distract himself from the declining spiral of his thoughts that he was beginning to recognize, he decided to get his robes on. For a good while he just admired the way they fell straight down to lightly brush the floor. On a second thought, he rummaged about in his trunk to find his wand. Grasping it, he waved it about happily, watching a spray of sparks fly from it. His family might not support spendthrift personal hobbies, but they did get the best for him. They'd get the best for Daphne too, when she came to Hog warts in a year's time. Fir and dragon heartstring, nine and three quarter inches, fairly pliant. That's what Mr. Ollivander had said when he put the fourteenth (Rhod had counted) wand in Rhodri's hand. He wished there were a mirror so he could see himself; he must have looked a genuine wizard. He tried to imagine it instead, as he was good at. It wasn't very hard to place his brown hair, clipped in a military style with only a small braid down his neck, and blue eyes over the Hogwarts robe. He got the distinct feeling he looked silly, but that was impossible, as he started to mature his features and made his eyes look a tad harder. There. Perfect. So wonderful, in fact, that he stored it among his most memorable memories. Coming to Hogwarts already triumphant, he thought.

The train was slowing; Rhod could tell as the windows showed distinct pictures of a picturesque forest and mountain scene. Ben burst in on him, bringing both of the boys on the other side of the compartment's heads up. Rhod had forgotten about them. 

"Rhod! I've been looking all over for you, in all of the compartments. Why'd you go off like that? There was this boy with the most amazing spotted cat! Like a little magic leopard! He said he did the coloring himself, and the cat helped him!" At least he wasn't talking about- Never mind him.

Ben was about to continue on when a voice reverberated in the train, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Ben tugged on Rhod's arm as he bent to scoop up his kitten once more. She didn't even have a name, as his parents had only given her to him this morning. She looked perfectly comfortable in his sleeve, and he at last allowed himself to be dragged away. "C'mon, we've gotta get to the doors!" They wove their way through the sudden crowd as the train came to a complete rest. Thus they came out near the front of the throng of students, totally encompassed in darkness.

Suddenly, a great figure loomed before Rhod, and he jumped back into the taller Ben. As lamplight infused the immediate area, he realized that it was the largest man he had ever seen. "Sorry there, tyke. All right there?" he asked of Rhod, then shouted over the heads of everyone, "Firs' years! Firs' years with me! Follow me, now!"

Rhod felt nothing like he had on the train, even as he led the way down the narrow path behind the giant man. As he heard the announcement of the first sight of Hogwarts, Rhod didn't hear the last two words; too busy ogling the castle. What a beautiful sight! And he would get to stay at it!

He almost splashed into the lake, as he was too busy staring at the castle to pay attention to where he was going. He wrenches his attention away to be followed by Ben and those two boys from his compartment into his boat. For once, Ben wasn't jabbering. Rhod hoped he was still breathing.

They passed under the ivy curtain that the boats sped right through, and reached the castle. The giant accounted for all of the first years, then knocked thrice on the huge doors. The swung open almost before he touched them, and a tall, black-haired witch with a stern mien met them.

"Firs' years fer you, Professor McGonagall." McGonagall, thought Rhod.

"Yes, thank you. I shall take them from here, Hagrid," the professor said, as Rhod stored away Hagrid's name and she pulled the doors wide open.

The entrance hall was nothing to scoff at, being so huge that Rhod was sure it would dwarf that of the ancient castle overlooking his village on a promontory. The ceiling went on forever, the illumination of torches only achieving so much.

The first years were led into a smaller room, and Professor McGonagall explained the system of Houses to them. Afterwards, she left them with the strong suggestion to smarten up. Rhod adjusted his robes and cloak as best he could, wishing he looked like he had imagined himself on the train. Beside him, Ben started scrubbing at his face with a sleeve. "You've got chocolate on your chin," Rhod offered helpfully.

"So, what House do you expect to be in?" wondered Ben, his voice muffled by his sleeve.

"Oh, I don't know… They all have their points…" Rhod muttered noncommittally, trying to hide his ignorance. He didn't want to admit that he only knew the barest bit of information about the Houses, and that only because he had had to look up Albus Dumbledore for an essay.

"Oh, I think I'd want Gryffindor, you know? But Slytherin sounds like it's really good, too. It won the House Cup for six years in a row! And my dad's said that he never saw a Hufflepuff that didn't get somewhere in life…" Rhod rather lost interest in Ben's monologue and looked around the small room in a distracted fashion. Then he heard a muffled "Hist!" Rhod looked around for the source of the whisper, and finally his eye came to rest on a strange little man floating in the entrance to the chamber; he caught Rhod's eye and beckoned him forward. When Rhod came close enough, the man whispered to him through a wide mouth, "Got something for you… Just follow me."

What was Rhod to do but follow? He didn't know why he'd been singled out; maybe he'd just dropped something on the way and this little man was taking him back to it. He was about to ask about it when his nose was yanked, hard enough that a few tears sprang to his eyes, and all he could hear was, "Got your conk! Hee hee hee! Better run, ickle firstie. Don't want to be late, do we?"

"Peeves!" The shout rang down the hall, and the source of the voice appeared soon after, in the form of an older student sporting a prefect badge. With admonishments, which clearly failed in their purpose of abashing Peeves but worked well enough driving him away, the prefect turned to Rhod. "Professor McGonagall said she didn't have the right number of students – good thing that little dark kid said he didn't see you. But… guess no one told you about Peeves, huh? Why don't they ever tell you anything useful on the train? Last year the only thing anyone could talk about was Harry Potter…"

"Yeah, this year too," Rhod said sullenly as he was guided back the way he had come by this student. He was feeling embarrassed and not at all like the impressive figure he had imagined on the train. 

The older boy gave him a reassuring grin and said, "Don't worry. Peeves makes himself a problem for everyone. Though you're probably going to be remembered as the newest student ever to be pranked upon by him. There's the chamber; just go straight through, as you're late and all-" he broke off his comment to shout after Rhod, who'd taken off at a sprint upon learning he was late, but shouted after him a bit huffily, "I'm Geoffrey Knolls, since you asked! Can't wait to see you in Ravenclaw."

Rhod stumbled into the Great Hall, out of breath and robes in disarray. In the same second that it took to register that there was a long line of first years and Ben was motioning frantically to a space for Rhod to fill, he also was mortified by ripples of laughter accompanying his entrance. Trying not to attract any more laughter than he already had, he skulked to the place Ben had so thoughtfully saved for him.

"We're all glad that you could join us, Mr. Zheldar," that, and a level gaze directed in Rhod's direction, was his only rebuke. Then the professor returned her focus to the hall in general, "Now, everyone, when I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," announced Professor McGonagall. Then she started, "Brookforth, Naomi!" The girl scuttled forward and propped the hat onto her head.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted without hesitation.

"Creevy, Colin!"

The boy who had helped Ben to drive Rhod away with the talk of Harry Potter rushed to the stool and dove for the hat. In a panicked way, he shoved the hat over his head. After about ten seconds' deliberation, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The two boys Rhod hadn't seen apart yet from the train ride over ended up being twins, "Czar", and "Czar." They turned out to be rather interesting, as anyone would assume they'd go together. Instead, the dark-headed boy, Timothy, was announced a Ravenclaw, and the other, Svetlie, a Slytherin.

Goldsmith, Benjamin!"

Ben choked beside Rhod, and scuttled out to place the hat over his head, obscuring his eyes. The hat sat there for a moment before shouting, "RAVENCLAW!"

Ben slipped from the seat, looking pleased with himself, and joined his House table, welcomed by loud clapping and handshakes.

"Heckel, Marvin", "Hoggarts", "Illios, Jane", "Kipp", and so it went on. Rhod never tired of clapping for the choices though his hands began to buzz.

"Zazzazi, Anansi," a short black boy, became a Gryffindor who joined Colin in his little group of Harry worshippers.

"Zheldar, Rhodri!"

He was the last person up there. Slowly, he lowered the hat over his chestnut head and situated himself on the stool. It was very black… Was he supposed to be seeing something?

"Harry Potter seems to be on a lot of minds this time around…" a small voice commented just by his right ear, "Let's see, though. Good mind, enough for anything you want to put it to, anyways. Loyalty to your friends, I see. He doesn't deserve you. Lots of vim and vigor, and, my, here's Harry again. Why such an obsession to surpass him?"

_How? Was all Rhod could think._

"No," it continued, "You and he have different paths. But there's a choice, you know. In Gryffindor you could be great with ease, but never as great as you'd like… In Slytherin, though, it will be difficult, and in more ways than you might think, but in the end, you will be great!" There was a pause. "Eh, well then, I guess its SLYTHERIN!"


	2. It's Not So Bad In Slytherin

It wasn't so bad in Slytherin at all, Rhodri told himself, while he exchanged mindless pleasantries with the painting across the hall from him. The lady in green with the white cat depicted in the portrait always had good advice for caring for his kitten Clara, but paintings, Rhod had learned early on in his mansion back home, needed to know that they were remembered. Otherwise, when you got around to seeing them again, it was hard to get a word in around indignant comments that you might've had a little more consideration for those who weren't mobile, who were stuck shifting behind a wall. Not even a dratted letter. Too good for us, huh? Even if Rhod didn't need help with Clara, he felt obliged to keep the woman company.  
  
No, it wasn't so bad in Slytherin. Though Ben never talked to him anymore, even though they had the Charms together. The first week of classes, Rhod had tried sitting next to Ben, with his new blue and bronze necktie, but Ben hadn't talked to him. He'd just looked uncomfortable, and glanced at some of his Housemates at the adjacent table. Though Rhod had kept a seat open for his friend the third day, when Ben was late to classes, instead of taking the open seat, he'd asked a couple of Ravenclaws to scooch aside so that he could sit down. When Rhod was quite plainly gesturing to the empty seat at his desk. The Czar boy, Svetlie, slid into the seat next to him instead, whispering through Professor Flitwick's lecture, "Don't be too offended. He's only a Ravenclaw, after all."  
  
Rhod had wanted to say that Ben was more than just a member of another House, that he was his best friend ever since he knew what a friend was. He didn't understand this new behavior. But Ben looked as if he'd abandoned him, and he didn't want to lose a new ally. So he made a friend in Svetlie, who joined him in standing up to the more officious of the senior students who thought that first years were mere go-fers.  
  
No, it wasn't so bad in Slytherin. There was always Quidditch, after all. First years weren't allowed on the House Quidditch team, of course, and Rhod was far from the best flier compared to some of the others who could think of nothing but the sport. But he'd learnt how to compliment, and the Captain, under concentrated flattery from Rhod, had all but assured him a position on the team when he was older. "Possibly Chaser, if you work hard," the burly Slytherin had said, "That's the position that gets some good attention. Glory, that's what you want. It's what I wanted too. Chaser's good for that. I'd say Seeker, but we've already got Malfoy there for good." Rhod had hardly been able to believe his ears, "Well, I wouldn't mind any position - it's glory enough to serve on such an illustrious team, under such a, hmm, excellent leader as yourself." He'd received a pat on the back, and the injunction to eat up so he wouldn't be underweight next year. It was nice to know that some things were under control.  
  
No, it wasn't so bad in Slytherin. Professor Snape did favor Slytherins immensely, and if other Houses sneered at Slytherins like Rhod in the library, he could brush it off. He wasn't about to let his perfect marks in Potions fall to the mediocrity of his other classes. Especially Charms, for try as he might, Rhod was abysmal at the stuff; he wished that he could sit next to Ben, who didn't seem half bad at it, from the sidelong glances Rhod stole every so often at his estranged friend.  
  
No, it wasn't so bad in Slytherin, if you could ignore the fireside chats and bury yourself in your homework rather than listen to the senior students slander the other houses, the Ministry, Muggles, other wizarding families and the like. It was always especially hard to concentrate when they spoke of Mudbloods. Ben was, Rhod knew, half Muggle on his mother's side, and it had always been something about Ben that had fascinated Rhodri, though Ben had been raised always knowing of his magical heritage, and hadn't given his mother's Muggle world much thought. That wouldn't matter to this bunch, though. A Mudblood was a Mudblood was a Mudblood, as Malfoy so eloquently put it one night.  
  
Rhod closed his eyes, not bothering to make any pretense of paying attention to the Lady in Green on the canvas now. "Yes, of course," he murmured to himself, "Why would I ever regret something like Slytherin? It's not bad at all." 


End file.
